After Indian Independence, a Union Territory of Hill
states was created. It primarily consituted of hill states
around Shimla. On November 1, 1966 Punjab Hill areas were
merged into Himachal as part of reorganization of Punjab.
Himachal Pradesh became a full fledged state of the Republic
of India on January 25, 1971.

Himachal Pradesh has been on the path of progress since
Independence. The literacy rate of the state is 63% now and
is improving every decade. The population has almost
stabilized at about 5 million, thanks to high literacy and
effective family planning programs. Every village in the
state has electricity and drinking water now.

Many young men from Himachal serve the Indian Army and
have played significant role in the National defense.
Dharamsala has a war memorial dedicated to the memory of
those who lost their lives for their country.

Himachal is literally a power house when it comes to
hydro-electricity. The state has many dams that harness the
hilly rivers to generate electric power. The electricity is
used by farmers in Punjab, Haryana and by the industries in
the northern plains.